Papermaking machine



Oct. 12, 1965 E. J. wr-:LHousE PAPERMAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 12, 1965 E. J. wELHousE 3,211,301

PAPERMAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 M2 l 'f ILV Oct. 12, 1965 E. J. WELHOUSE PAPERMAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 @MMM ,HHHHIH Oct. 12, 1965 E. J. wELHousE 3,211,301

PAPERMAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 12, 1965 E. J. wELHousE 3,211,301

PAPERMAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O 3,211,301 PAPERMAKHNG MACHINE Ervin J. Welhouse, Kimberly, Wis., assignor to Kimberly- Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Fitted Dec. 30, 1957, Ser. No. 706,102 7 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) This invention relates to apparatus for the transferring of stacks of relatively flexible sheet materials, such as paper, from one location to another. Such :a transfer is `commonly involved in the unpiling of a larger stack or pile yof sheets into a series of smaller stacks, or conversely the Iassembly of a larger stack from a series of smaller ones.

In the stacking and unstacking of piles of paper sheets, current practice involves considerable manual handling, which is laborious, time consuming and expensive, and has proved far from satisfactory in quality of result obtained. These difficulties are particularly evident and troublesome in the handling of highly finished and light basis weight sheets, which are unusually susceptible to dama-ge and are particularly difficult to handle.

The means of this invention substantially eliminates manual handling of the stacks of sheets, and provides a faster, easier, less wasteful and generally more satisfactory operation. The apparatus involves two stations or supports, with provision of means where relative motion between the supports in both vertical and longitudinal directions may be induced. A transversely extending edge of one of the supports is provided with a movable element to propel a stack of sheets which is to be transferred from one station to the other.

The specific objects and advantages of this invention will readily be perceived from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

lFIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURES 3 to 7 are side-elevation view-s, partially cut away, showing the apparatus of FIGURE 1 in successive stages of an unpiling operation,

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-'8 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view taken lalong the line 9 9 of FIGURE 1, `showing certain details of the invention,

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a pa-rt of the appar-atus of FIGURE 1, taken from the left end of the apparatus as seen in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIGURE l, showing details of a particular embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 o-f a modiiied form of the invention, and

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of the modied form of the invention shown in FIGURE 12.

Referring to the figures, it is seen that the preferred form of the invention includes a table or support frame A made up of rigidly interconnected be-ams 10, 11, 12 and 13. Frame A is mounted on posts 14, 15, 16 and 17 for controlled vertical sliding movement, which may be provided by conventional cables, rack and pinion combinations, cylinder-piston assemblies or the like, located within the posts and connected to portions of frame A extending within slots 18 in the posts. For example, referring also to FIGURE 8 frame A may at each of its corners be provided with an extending arm 50 extending into the adjacent one of posts 14 to 17 through -slots 18. A cable 51 is fastened to arm 50 and thence passed around a 3,211,301 Patented Get. l2, 1965 pulley 52 pivotally mounted as at 53 on the upper end of the post. The cable then passes downwardly through the post and through the floor or other support, as at 54. The cables from the various post locations, supporting the four corners of frame A, are :conventionally connected together and to a power source to provide equal lifting forces to the four corners of the frame.

Frame A slidably carries a thin air table or support 20, which travels on track portions 21 of beams 10 and 11 for longitudinal movement parallel to those beams. For ease of movement, table 20 may be provided with a series of wheels 22 which ride on tracks 21. Controlled movement of table 20 may be achieved by any conventional means, connected between the table kand frame A, whereby an operator may at will control the motion of table 20 longitudinally in relation to frame A. For example, referring `also to FIGURE 9, table 20 may have an electric motor 60 mounted the-reon and operatively connected to frame A by pinions 61 meshing with rack 26. Motor 60 is selectively controlled through electrical wires 62 and thus the longitudinal position of table 20 relative to frame A may be controlled at will.

Table 20 preferably comprises a hollow member which is air tight except for a plurality of holes 28 in its top. Air is forced into the table under light pressure and as it escapes through holes 28 it substantially supports a stack of sheets which may be placed thereon. Referring again to FIGURE 9, pressure air may be supplied to the interior of table 20 from a pump 70 mounted on frame A and connected to the table as by a hose 71 of suflicient length to permit the described relative movement between the frame and table. An air table in the simple form as thus far described, without the mounting, is quite conventional, and so is not further detailed here.

Rotat-ably mounted along the forward longitudinal edge of table 20 is a movable surface, which in the preferred embodiment takes the form of a roller 23 of relatively small diameter, preferably of diameter approximating the small vertical dimensions of the table. The mounting of roller 23 may be by such as journals 24 iixed to table 20.

One end of roller 2.3 carries a pinion 25 which meshes with a rack 26 formed in an overhanging portion of beam 11. As Viewed in FIGURE 1, it will be clear that as table 20 moves from right to left, roller 23 will rotate in a clockwise direction, and vice versa. The pitch diameter of pinion 25 is selected so that the circumferential speed of roller 23 relative to table 20 will ybe substantially equal to the longitudinal speed of motion of the table. Preferably, this circumferential speed slightly exceeds the longitudinal speed, by 1an increment of about three percent, for reasons noted later herein.

An aligning stop 30 is mounted on beam 13, against which a smaller pile portion of sheets, being piled or unpiled, can impinge to insure continued vertical alignment regardless of the transfer operation. As will be clear from FIGURES 2 to 7 and 10, stop 3i) has a pair of vertically channeled members 36 fixed to its back side, within which lugs 39 on the piston ends 37 of solenoid 31, cylinder piston assemblies, or the like are engaged in limited vertically-slidable relationship. The solenoids are xed to beam 13 as at 33, the solenoids being actuated through electrical wires 31a and thus permitting selective movement of stop 30 from right to left and vice versa as viewed in FIGURES l through 7. Thus stop 30 is movable both vertically and longitudinally of frame A.

Along each side of stop 30 there is mounted a side piece 32 having an edge 33 leveled at 45 to the vertical. These edges are positioned to contact enlarged bearing portions 34 formed near the ends of roller 23, as table 20 reaches the end of its leftward travel as viewed in FIGURE 1. Since stop 30 is mounted for Vertical travel, it is clear that further leftward movement by the table will force stop 30 upward, as will be further described later herein.

As seen in FIGURE l, a stack of flexible sheets B, such as paper, is supported on a pallet or skid 35 immediately below the left end portion of frame A. This skid of sheets may be so positioned by any suitable means, such as a fork truck or conveyor. It is in the separation or unpiling of such a stack B into smaller piles that this invention finds one of its primary uses. This unstacking or unpiling operation may now be described.

Referring also to FIGURES 2 and 3, a portion B' of stack B of sheets is lifted along an edge adjacent roller 23, so that table may be forced into the transverse separation thus formed. To accomplish this result, as shown in FIGURE 2, initially there may be inserted into the separation a divider 40, which may have a piece 41 affixed thereto as a reinforcing member and to prevent entry of the divider into the separation further than desired.

Table 20 may then be adjusted to the proper height and horizontal positions so that roller 23 assumes a position immediately under the edge portion of divider 40 protruding from stack B. The table is then raised by the operator to lift the protruding edge of divider 40 as shown in FIGURE 3, to the point where the lowermost portion of table 20 is slightly higher than the plane of the uppermost sheet in the remainder of the stack below divider 40. Table 20 is then forced inwardly a short distance, divider 40 may then be removed by the operator, and the table is then forced further to the left with roller 23 rotating opposite to the direction of movement of table 20, carrying sub-stack B up onto the table, as seen in FIGURE 4.

As the table reaches the position shown in FIGURE 5, enlarged portions 34 of roller 23 contact the beveled edges 33 of side pieces 32, whereupon continued travel of the table 20 forces stop 30 upwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 6, with the effect of squaring up the side of the stack B' which has been in contact with stop 30, as that side is brought upwardly for support on the plane of table 20. This action occurs simultaneously with the final leftward movement of table 20, so that it is a squared substack B of sheets which is brought up on the table.

The pressure-air presented through holes 28 in the table 20 provides a cushion upon which the sub-stack B is supported with but slight friction between the sub-stack and the upper surface of the table. Consequently, the rotation of roller 23 during the final increment of leftward travel of the table ordinarily propels the pile B' to the position shown in FIGURE 7.

The table may then be retracted to, for example, the most rightward position on frame A, and the sub-stack B easily pushed off the table to an immediately adjacent operating station, or otherwise moved, for any further handling, such as trimming.

The movable surface along the leading transverse edge of table 20, for example as presented by roller 23 in the preferred embodiment above described, provides an unusually important advantage when the material being transferred is of a delicate nature such as very light basis weight and/ or highly finished paper sheet material. Without such a movable surface acting to lift and propel the sub-stack onto the table, there is a tendency for the lowermost sheets in the sub-stack to bunch in front of the leading edge of the table even though this edge may be highly polished and with a low coefficient of friction. Further, the necessary riding action of the sheets over a stationary leading edge is likely to result in irremediable damage to the lowermost sheets in the sub-stack, which problem is compounded if the sheets tend to bunch in front of the leading edge. The lighter the sheet material being transferred, the greater the tendency of the sheets to bunch in front of the table; the more highly finished the sheets, the more likely and extensive the resulting damage.

When initially lifting the engaged edge of the sub-stack B as shown in FIGURE 3, the lowermost edge of the substack should be raised so that the lowermost part of table 20, including roller 23, will only slightly but definitely clear the uppermost sheetimmediately therebelow. In this connection it might be noted that there are sometimes quantities of air entrapped between layers of the sheet material, with resulting raised areas in the stack, and care should be exercised to insure that the sub-stack is sufiiciently raised so that the lower part of the table and roller will clear any such raised areas as the table is inserted into the stack.

Roller 23 is preferably of the smallest feasible diameter, consistent with necessary strength, but ordinarily this diameter need be no smaller than the thickness of table 20. Preferably the roller is mounted so that its uppermost portion is slightly above the plane of the upper surface of table 20, as may particularly be seen in FIGURES 2 through 7. With this positioning, there is substantially eliminated any possibility that the leading edge of the lowest sheets in the sub-stack will be engaged in the inherent small gap between the roller and the adjacent edge of the table as the sub-stack is being propelled onto the table.

Roller 23 preferably is mounted to rotate with a circumferential speed relative to table 20 slightly in excess of the speed of longitudinal travel of the table, as previously indicated. This slight overspeeding of roller 23 insures that there is a positive horizontal propelling force applied to the sub-stack, as well as a vertical propelling force, and that there will be no slight dragging force which would tend to cause bunching and marring of the lowermost sheets of the sub-stack. However, depending upon the resultant coefficient of friction between the roller surface and the sheets, it is possible to operate the apparatus satisfactorily within a range of relative speeds, although in every instance the circumferential speed of the roller should be substantially equal to the longitudinal speed of the table.

Stop 30 preferably is mounted and automatically actuated so that with each initiation of leftward motion of the table 20, stop 30 is firmly but resistably pushed to the right as viewed in FIGURE l, and with initiation of rightward motion of the table stop 30 automatically retracts left- Wardly. This may be achieved by any suitable conventional interconnection of the power sources for solenoid 31 and electric motor 60. Then, with location of the adjacent edge of stack B within the area in which stop 30 is longitudinally movable, upon initiation of leftward motion of table 20, stop 30 will firmly come into contact with stack B to support the stack (particularly portion B') against longitudinal force applied by insertion of the table. This insures maintenance of the squared edges of the substack B. As previously noted, as raised portions 34 of roller 23 come into contact with edges 33, stop 30 is raised, thus applying a lifting force to the edges of sheets in sub-stack B to assist them in assuming the final squared position on the table. Continued movement of the table sufficiently to raise stop 30 to permit roller 23 to pass therebeueath will insure positioning of sub-stack B on the table beyond the roller.

It will be obvious that the apparatus as described will also work well in performing an operation just the reverse as that described, that is in the formation of a large stack of sheets from a series of smaller stacks or piles. In such situations the operation of the machine is the reverse of that described and consequently is not further detailed, although in such operation the divider 40 is of less utility.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the apparatus which has been described will be possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It might particularly be noted, for cxample, that the movable surface provided by roller 23 need not be presented in the form of a geometric cylinder, but might equally Well be in the form of a belt carried and propelled by two or more rollers, wheels or sets of pulleys. The surface of such a belt might be provided with a series of perforations through which pressure-air might be forced in substantially the manner and for the purposes as described in connection with table 20. This might be particularly helpful should the longitudinal dimension of the upper surface presented by such a belt be increased to present a substantial portion of the total length of the movable table or platform. Such a belt might be especially useful for operation of the apparatus as a stacker, and in such operation the belt or roller could advantageously be selectively driven either as previously described or by an independent power source. For example, referring to FIGS. l2 and 13, such a belt 95 having perforations 96 therethrough may be supported by the two rollers 23. The belt extends over the rollers and over the top of the table 20. The independent power source may be an electric motor 97 driving a roller 23 by means of belts 98 and a motor output gear unit 99 having power output pulleys 100 for the belts 98. The motor 11 may be energized through electrical wires 101 and may be selectively connected to the same power source as that for the motor 60 so that, when the table 20 is moved between parts of a pile of sheet material, the belt 96 on its upper pass moves substantially at the same speed as the table but in the opposite direction.

Further, stack B could be positioned upon a vertically and/or longitudinally movable support, thus eliminating l the need to provide the corresponding movements of table ZO-of course, eliminating longitudinal movement of the table limits the range within which the sub-stack may be moved. For example, referring to FIGURE l1, pallet may be supported on a platform 80 carried by a lazy tong mechanism 81 mounted on wheels 82. Mechanism 81 may be controllably extended, thus raising platform 80 and pallet 35, by a cylinder-piston assembly 83 connected between opposed pivot points 84 and 85 on the mechanism 81, and supplied with actuating fluid through a conduit 86, For longitudinal travel (from right to left as seen in FIGURES l to 7 and 1l), this supporting mechanism may be powered by an electric motor 87 mounted on one of the arms 88 of mechanism 81 and controllably connected to one of the wheels 82 through a belt or chain 89. Motor 87 is selectively actuated through electrical wires 90. Roller 23 must in any event rotate proportionately to the relative horizontal movement between the table and stack B.

In view of the Various obvious modifications which might be made, it is to be understood that no limits upon the invention are intended except as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus yfor handling a pile of light, flexible sheet material comprising a vertically movable frame, a relatively thin table mounted `on said frame in longitudinally movable relation, a roller mounted along a transverse edge of said table and adapted to rotate with a circumferential speed relative to the table substantially equal to the speed of longitudinal movement of the table and with the upper surf-ace of the roller moving oppositely to the direction of such longitudinal movement, a pile-aligning stop mounted on said frame adjacent the end thereof toward `which said roller is mounted, said stop having biased portions adapted to lift the stop upon said portions being engaged by the roller, means for selectively mov-ing said frame vertically and said table longitudinally, and means for resistably forcing said stop toward the table upon initial movement of the table toward the stop, whereby said roller will propel a pile of sheet material between a position off the table and .a position on the table without substantial movement of the pile in the longitudinal tand lateral directions, said stop serving to maintain the vertical alignment of the sheets.

2. Apparatus for handling a pile of light flexible sheet material comprising a table, a frame for mounting said table so that it may move horizontally with a forward edge moving from one side of the pile toward the other between parts of the pile, a roller mounted on the forward edge of said table, gearing interconnecting said frame and table for rotating said roller in a direction so that its -upper surface has a motion opposite to that of the table and at substantially the same peripheral speed for lfacilitating movement of the table between the parts of the pile, a back stop for said other side of the pile, and means for mounting said back stop so that it may have vertical movement as the roller .approaches the lback -st-op for maintaining a part of the pile being moved on to the table in a substantially squared condition.

3. Apparatus for handling a pile of light flexible sheet material comprising :a table, la frame for mounting said table for horizontal movement so that it may be moved between parts `of the pile with a forward edge proceeding lfrom one side of the pile toward the other, means for adjusting the height of said frame, a roller on said forward :table edge, gearing interconnecting said frame and said table for rotat-ing said roller so that its upper surface moves -in a direction opposite t-o tha-t `of the table at a speed substantially equal to that of the table, a back stop adapted to be effective on said other side of the pile, means for mounting said back stop so that it may have vertical movement, and cam means effective between said table .and .sa-id stop for moving said .stop upwardly as the table approaches the stop for maintaining said other side of the pile in squared condition as a part of the pile is moved on to the table.

4. Apparatus -for handling a pile of flexible paper sheets comprising -a table, said table being relatively .thin compared Ito its length and breadth and being hollow and having a Hat perforated upper surface, means for sup.- plying air under pressure into .sai-d table so that lpaper sheets on the .table are supported by a cushion of air, means for mounting said table so that it may move in a direction substantially parallel t-o its upper surface between parts of a pile of paper sheets with a forward edge proceeding from one side toward the other side of the pile, a roll-er rotatably mounted on said forward table edge so as t-o provi-de initial lifting action on the upper part of said pile of sheets as the table 4is moved between said parts, said roller having substantially the s-ame diameter as the thickness of said tabl-e :and having its uppermost peripheral surface substantially ooextensive with said upper table surface and being Iin close proximity to the table so that the flexible paper sheets of the pile may -be passed over the roller and onto said perforated upper surface to form a pile of paper sheets on said upper sur- Iface, and ymeans for driving said roller so that the roller has a peripheral Velocity at said upper surface of the table substantially the same as the velocity of the table and in the opposite direction for facilitating movement of the table into and out from between parts of the pile of paper sheets.

5. Apparatus for handling a pile of flexible paper sheets comprising a table, la fra-me for mounting said table for yhorizontal movement so that a forward edge of the table may enter between parts of 4the pile, said table being rela- |tively thin compared to its length and breadth and being hollow and having fa fiat perforated upper surface, means for supplying .air under pressure into said table so that paper sheets on the table are supported by a cushion of air, .a relier rotatably mounted on said forward table edge so als to provide initial lifting action on the upper part of said pile of sheet-s as the table is moved between said parts, said roller having .substantially the same diameter ,as the thickness of the table and having its uppermost peripheral surface substantially coextensive with said upper table surface .and being mounted in close proximity to the table so that the flexible paper sheets of the pile may be passed over the roller and on to said perforated upper surface to 'form a pile of :paper sheets on said upper surface, a rack gear carried by said frame, and a pinion gear fixed with respect to said roller and in mesh with said rack gear, said gears being of such disposition and size to be effective for driving said roller so :that .the roller has a peripheral velocity substantially the same as the velocity of the table `and in the opposite direction at said upper surface of the :table for 'facilitating movement of the table into and out from between parts of the pile of paper sheets.

6. Apparatus for handling a pile of exible paper sheets comprising a table, said table being relatively thin compared to its length and breadth, said table being hollow and having a at perforated upper surface, means for supplying air under pressure into said table so that paper sheets on the table are supported by a cushion of air, means mounting said table so that it may move in a direction substantially parallel to its upper surface between parts of a pile of paper sheets with a forward edge proceeding from one side toward the other side of the pile, a roller rotatably mounted on said forward table edge, said roller having its uppermost peripheral surface slightly above said upper table surface and being in close proximity to the table so that the exible paper sheets of the pile may be passed over the roller and onto said perforated upper surface to form a pile of paper sheets on said upper surface, means for rotating said roller so that its upper portion travels in a direction opposite to the direction of table movement, said rotating means lbeing positively co-ordinated with the table movement so that the peripheral velocity of said roller is slightly greater than the speed of advance of said table.

7. A method of unstacking a stack of imsy paper sheets, pile by pile, wherein each successive pile is transferred on a movable pile transfer table having a flat, perforated table top and supported horizontally and wherein the table and the stack are vertically movable with respect to each other; said method comprising the steps of vertically positioning said stack and table with respect to each other so that the top of the table is slightly above the lowermost sheet of a topmost pile to be positioned on the table; supplying air under pressure to the upper face of said table top and creating an air lm cushion under a pile received and supported thereon to reduce frictional resistance to sliding thereof; preliminarily separating the topmost pile at its edge adjacent the table from the remainder of the stack and inserting a divider into the separation thus formed; advancing the table on 'said stack and under said divider and at the same time raising the table with respect to the stack so that the divider increases the separation between the topmost pile and the remainder of the stack; then further advancing said table on said stack while roll conveying said topmost pile on to said table top by progressive frictional engagement with the under sheet of the topmost pile from end to end of said pile until the pile so segregated is horizontal on said table top at a spaced distance above said stack; then retracting said table from said stack and carrying said topmost horizontal segregated pile therefrom; then again vertically positioning said stack and said table with respect to each other and repeating the separation of the then topmost pile from the remainder of the stack and repeating the advancing and retracting movements of the table for similarly removing additional piles from the stack.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,464,513 8/23 Sutherland. 1,801,822 4/31 Sutherland 2l4-16.4 X 2,003,125 5/35 Stevens 271-89 X v2,315,627 4/43 Lamb. 2,730,247 1/56 Lawson. 2,830,713 4/58 Fredriksson 214-8.5 2,960,243 11/ 60 Beaulieu. 2,963,177 12/60 Shields 214-6.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 880,116 6/53 Germany.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, ERNEST A. FALLER, IR.,

Examiners. 

1. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING A PILE OF LIGHT, FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING A VERTICALLY MOVABLE FRAME, A RELATIVELY THIN TABLE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME IN LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE RELATION, A ROLLER MOUNTED ALONG A TRANSVERSE EDGE OF SAID TABLE AND ADAPTED TO ROTATE WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPEED RELATIVE TO THE TABLE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE SPEED OF LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE TABLE AND WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE ROLLER MOVING OPPOSITELY TO THE DIRECTION OF SUCH LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT, A PILE-ALIGNING STOP MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ADJACENT THE END THEREOF TOWARD WHICH SAID ROLLER IS MOUNTED, SAID STOP HAVING BIASED PORTION ADAPTED TO LIFT THE STOP UPON SAID PORTIONS BEING ENGAGED BY THE ROLLER, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING SAID FRAME VERTICALLY AND SAID TABLE LONGITUDINALLY, AND MEANS FOR RESISTABLY FORCING SAID STOP TOWARD THE TABLE UPON INITIAL MOVEMENT OF THE TABLE TOWARD THE STOP, WHEREBY SAID ROLLER WILL PROPEL A PILE OF SHEET MATERIAL BETWEEN A POSITION OFF THE TABLE AND A POSITION ON THE TABLE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT OF THE PILE IN THE LONGITUDINAL AND LATERAL DIRECTIONS, SAID STOP SERVING TO MAINTAIN THE VERTICAL ALIGNMENT OF THE SHEETS. 